A Copernican Revolution -LA Holmes

  In 1892 in Clayton County Iowa John Froelich invented something that would soon become a staple of farms across the world.  It didn’t have a name yet but what it did was something incredible.  It was the first successful gasoline powered engine that could maneuver forwards and backwards.  Froelich had invented what came to be known as the tractor. Before this many farmers relied on steam powered engines and back breaking work to thresh wheat. Those engines were heavy and hard to maneuver, so Froelich wanted something smaller but with more power.  That first fall with his new engine his crew was able to thresh 72,000 bushels of wheat, making the new equipment a roaring success.   As long as man has had to work, he has been looking for a way to make that work easier. Everything from the first wheel, to the horse drawn plow, to the biggest satellite driven combine tractors today are an extension of that desire to make the job easier.  “Work smarter, not harder” is the mantra of many peo

  Even major accidents are caused by minor things. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates that every year 16,000 car crashes occur because of what they call “pedal errors.” This is when a driver’s foot slips off the brake and presses the accelerator, when they hit the gas pedal by mistake, or when the driver accidentally steps on both the brake and gas at the same time.  This happens more often to very young drivers or very old ones, but the truth is anyone is capable of a mistake like this. When you hit the wrong pedal at the wrong time you risk running into something or someone.  At the very least you might do big damage to the vehicle you are driving. Leaders of churches and organizations often make these same kinds of mistakes.  As the pastor or leader it’s our job to know when to hit the gas or when to hit the brakes, and messing them up can cause quite the spectacular crash.  There are too many stories to tell of pastors that came into a church and tr